Hervé Barmasse: first winter enchainement of the four Matterhorn ridges. Alone.

On Thursday March 13th, Hervé Barmasse, completely alone, accomplished the first winter enchainment of the four Matterhorn ridges and the first solo ascent of the Furggen Ridge along the overhangs route.

He set off from Bivacco Bossi, climbed the Furggen Ridge, went down the Hornli Ridge, traversed at the bottom of the North face, climbed up the Zmutt ridge and down the Lion ridge, reaching Carrel Hut, in just 17 hours. Marco, his father, was there, waiting for him. Then the italian alpinist carried on his solo descent towards Cervinia.
The course was undertaken in complete loneliness and in winter, even knowing that nobody had ever succeeded in the purpose before. Behind this challenge there was no idea of a record; spring, summer or autumn would have been much better seasons for that sort of exploit.

Quite a lot of difficulties arose from the large amount of snow, which had fallen copiously in the previous months and reached up to the waist in many parts of the climb, making every move very risky.

In addition to this “grande course”, the first solo winter climb of the Furggen Ridge through the Overhangs route was accomplished. A challenge in the challenge.
Once again, after his trilogy in 2011, Hervé Barmasse brings the attention back to mountaneering in the Alps, rather than searching for remote lands, himalayan mountains or isolated valleys, simply by using imagination and creativity.